RISD Center for Complexity

Hello, world ?? Annie Chen and I are thrilled to announce the launch of our new company, BEAM. BEAM is a climate transition design studio working at the intersection of technology, culture, and community to advance resilient and just climate futures. At BEAM, we know that change happens at the speed of trust; we’re on a mission to bridge the gap between innovators and communities on the frontlines of climate change to catalyze efficient and equitable climate action. We work with climate tech, research groups, community organizations, and policymakers to create sociotechnical solutions to the climate crisis, while also collaborating with researchers, storytellers, and technologists to envision and prototype new models of climate futures worth pursuing. In our kickoff year, we’re excited to be a part of the Y11 cohort of NEW INC, a design incubator from New Museum of Contemporary Art in NYC. At NEW INC, we’re thrilled to be working alongside a talented community of creative entrepreneurs pave new roads across art, design, tech, and science. We’re seeking to connect with visionary change makers, community leaders, policy experts, corporate leaders, and institutional partners to collaboratively shape a more just and sustainable future. Visit us at www.beamstudio.earth or drop us a line at [email protected] – we’d love to start the conversation.?

First-year undergraduate students at RISD are immersed in making, developing their skills and finding inspiration and context for their work in studios. A key element in the process is critique—both giving and receiving constructive criticism—and developing that skill is an important part of the Experimental and Foundation Studies (EFS) curriculum. In an EFS studio led by Associate Professor and Photography alum Mimi Cabell, an assignment focused on cowboy culture inspired a wide range of responses and meaningful dialogue. Learn more below. #RISD #RISD1877

Just announced! Our Department of Industrial Design, at the Rhode Island School of Design, invites applications for full-time faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, to commence Fall 2025. Link below. Please share widely!

RISD students, faculty members and alums are taking advantage of new funding streams to push the boundaries of interdisciplinary research methodologies and generate creative solutions to regional and global problems. A I R Showcase of Arts, Innovation and Research, organized as part of DESIGNxRI DESIGN WEEK RI, recently showcased many kinds of ventures currently underway. #RISD #RISD1877 #Art #Design #Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded a $4 million?Equitable Nature-Based Climate Solutions (ENACTS) grant for a four-year stormwater management project that will be conducted collaboratively at RISD, the University of Rhode Island, the University of New Hampshire, and the University of Louisville. Landscape Architecture?Department Head?Johanna Barthmaier-Payne?will head up RISD’s contribution to the study, working with a team of transdisciplinary researchers to develop new protocols for gathering input from a diverse range of community members at each location. #RISD #RISD1877 #RISDResearch

The PWR team pulled up at yesterday's Rally 4 Recovery, handing out harm reduction supplies and sharing overdose prevention resources. It was an awesome day connecting with the community and spreading awareness! A huge shoutout to Denniss, our Providence Client Services Manager, who's been putting in the work for years to help make this rally what it is today. This year, Denniss was recognized with the Recovery in Action Award for his dedication to recovery and harm reduction. Congrats, Denniss! You're a true community hero, always leading with compassion and care! #rally4recoveryri #rhodeisland #Harmreduction #overdoseprevention

Jennifer Newton Bissonnette began her tenure at RISD’s Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab in 2014 and was recently named the inaugural Houghton P. Metcalf, Jr. (HD 96) Director of the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab. "In my opinion, the division between science and art is an artificial one. They are both grounded in observation and gaining a deeper understanding of what is and what might be. Art itself is a much more powerful motivator than data, which makes this an incredibly generative place to be." Read more below on?where Bissonnette discusses the Nature Lab’s evolving mission and externally funded research projects in the works.